


Soldier, King, Avatar.

by RoguingAround, That_One_Doc_Dragon



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Bad and Skeppy raised Dream, Bending (Avatar), Don't question it, Dream also has no clue he's the avatar, Dream is on the run but doesn't know who's chasing him, Dream is the Avatar, Earthbenders are very rare, Minecraft, Niki is a Kyoshi Warrior cause she's a badass, Phil adopted Techno and Wilbur, Sapnap is a Prince, Techno and Wilbur form the antarctic empire with Phil's help, The Author Regrets Nothing, and yes Sky was the previous Avatar, mcyt - Freeform, minecraft youtubers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27160231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoguingAround/pseuds/RoguingAround, https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_One_Doc_Dragon/pseuds/That_One_Doc_Dragon
Summary: The Avatar was murdered, and the people who murdered him are coming after his next reincarnation who just so happens to be the Prince of the Earth Kingdom, a boy named Dream. Before Dream could be told about his status as Avatar he was forced to live on the run, hopping from city to city as he finds allies, friends, and his life's purpose. He seeks revenge for his fallen kingdom and hopes that by tracking down the man who toppled his kingdom, he can finally rest.Can he achieve his goal before the people hunting him down catch up with him?Meanwhile, across the globe, a pair of brothers who were exiled from their tribe slowly accumulate power with the help of their adoptive father, a man named Philza. Techno and Wilbur are determined to take back their tribe and make it better- to make an empire that can help the world instead of harming it.However, rumors that the Avatar wants to take down their Empire run rampant and Techno has to make the tough decision of letting the Avatar live- or die...
Comments: 19
Kudos: 144





	1. Chapter 1

It was a cold and rainy night when the walls of Ba Sing Se fell. The Earth King sat dead on his throne with the Queen not far away, their killers leaving them there as if they were mere trash under their feet. They did not care that the Earth Nation would fall along with the Monarchs, they did not care that the world would destabilize in the vacuum created by the destruction of the kingdom. They only cared for one thing: The Avatar.

No one left the castle that day, there were to be no witnesses and there certainly weren’t going to be any survivors. The killers were fairly certain that the Earth King’s eldest son was the next Avatar, but they were going to kill every Earth Bender they came across just to make sure. The Earth Kingdom had fallen into chaos not long after the castle went up in flames, with mysterious mercenaries clad in blue going from town to town- killing any and all earth benders they could find and burning down whatever was left. In just a few days- On that cold and rainy night, Earth Benders went to the brink of extinction.

The King and Queen were not stupid, when the last Avatar had been announced dead, they knew that the next Avatar would be born among their citizens, and they were determined that the Avatar would be safe within their borders. They were one of the last Avatar’s closest friends and promised him that they would keep his reincarnation safe and close to them. They just didn’t realize how close his reincarnation would be until the Sages informed them that their eldest son would be the world’s savior. They decided to keep this information top secret, with only a select few servants and guards being told of this secret. The King and Queen were not only determined to let their son have a normal childhood, free from the pressure that people often shoved onto the Avatar, they were determined to save their child from the same fate as their friend. They loved their children very much, and they would keep those kids safe from the public’s prying eyes at all costs.

The last Avatar was a water bender by the name of Sky, and though not much was known about him, it was common knowledge that he was killed under mysterious circumstances at a surprisingly young age. It is commonly said that he died trying to save the Northern Air Temple from the Northern Water Tribe after a fight broke out between the two peoples. In the end, he couldn’t save them, and most air benders abandoned their temples to live within the borders of the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation.

Only a select few knew the truth behind Avatar Sky’s death, and the ones behind it were not keen on welcoming a new avatar into the world, their work wasn’t quite finished, after all. The Captain of the Earth King’s guard was paid handsomely for his information on the heir to the Earth Kingdom throne.

In one night, the Earth Kingdom’s royal family was wiped out as if they were just a smudge on a pane of glass. The mercenaries sent after the family were paid large sums to kill the young Prince, but they weren’t quite fast enough.

Two cloaked figures ran through the burning streets of Ba Sing Se, one holding a small form in their arms, while the other prevented any mercenary from getting anywhere near them. The rain did nothing to slow the pair, they refused to stop or slow down for anything- their mission was too important.

Over the next few weeks they bounced from town to town on their way north to the very edge of the Earth Kingdom’s borders.

“You think we’ll make it?”

“We have to, Skeppy. We made a promise to protect him, no matter what.”

“I know, Bad, it’s just… it feels risky. The Northern Water tribe hates air benders and then there’s-”

“You don’t have to remind me about them. They almost got him once,” The air bender cut him off and glanced over at the sleeping child perched on Skeppy’s shoulders, “We can’t let them get a second chance, he won’t survive a second attempt... The Northern Air Temple is abandoned, we’ll be safe there.” He sighed and pulled his hood farther over his head, “Only two more days until safety, then,” the earth bender gave his friend a soft smile, “We’ll figure this out together… They won’t find him, not while we have anything to do about it.”

* * *

On the opposite side of the world, a very different conversation was occurring. In a small, dark cell, two young children clutched onto each other for dear life. They were clad in ratty, old furs and skins, and they didn’t understand where they were or where their parents had gone; all they knew that they had each other.

“Their parents were blood benders! They killed Aliana, Tarou, Makki, and probably many more of our people. They can’t stay here.”

“They’re just kids! We don’t even know if they can bend yet, they shouldn’t be killed for the actions of their parents!”

“They are more than old enough to have understood the crimes that their parents were committing, they are _not_ a part of our tribe-“

“Enough!” The chief of the Southern Water Tribe slammed her hands down onto the table, getting up and pacing the room as her two lieutenants fell into silence, “How old are the children, Kari?” She turned to the female who was advocating for the children’s execution. “Six, ma’am,” Kari responded quickly. “And have they mentioned any knowledge of their parent’s actions?” The chief turned her back to the two. The male lieutenant, Terick, spoke up, “From our interrogation, the children didn’t seem to be aware their parents were killing people, but they knew about blood bending. Apparently, their father had been trying to teach them- but it seems like the children are non-benders.” He spoke slowly, keenly aware of the fact that this information could doom the children. The chief sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose before turning back to the two,

“Has news of the children spread through the tribe?” she asked, returning to her desk. “Yes ma’am, Tarou’s widow and Makki’s children have started a petition to exile them,” Kari proclaimed with far too much enthusiasm and fished the petition out of her coat, revealing a list of far too many signatures to read individually.

“Ma’am, they’re just kids, we can’t-“

“Our people have made a decision, Terick. I have to respect that.”

“-and kill two innocent kids?!”

“No. We won’t kill them,” The chief glared at her second in command, “We will exile them from the village and let the spirits decide their fate.” She asserted, already signing the order. “But ma’am! With winter right around the corner, exile is a death sentence! There’s a blizzard in two days!” Terick stared in disbelief at his chief, losing faith in her leadership.

“Well, then I hope the spirits take pity on them.” Chief Yin handed the decree to Kari, who held back a grin of triumph, “You and Kari will escort the boys to our borders and inform them of their exile. I want this done before sundown.” Terick opened his mouth to object, but the chief cut him off with a glare, “That is an order, Terick. I will hear no more on the subject.”

“Yes, Chief Yin.”

The squeal of metal on metal shocked Wilbur awake in the corner of the cell, his twin brother seemed to still be sleeping so he gently shook him awake as two people entered their cell. “It’s time to go, boys.” The male spoke softly, holding out two small cloaks. Wilbur rose slowly, clutching Techno’s hand tightly, “Where are we going?” He asked and reluctantly took the cloaks. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to,” The female snapped, and Wil flinched back, wordlessly clasping the cloak around Techno’s shoulders on before putting his own on. They followed the two adults outside of the jail and eventually out of the village, the shackles on their wrists clinking softly as they walked. Wilbur pretended not to notice the glares and hushed whispers thrown in their direction, he just kept his head down and Techno him closer, furiously glaring back.

As they walked through the packed snow, the wind picked up and bit at the boys’ noses and cheeks. They reached the end of the path outside of their tribe and the adults stopped, turning back to the boys. The man silently unlocked the shackles on their wrists as the woman read from a scroll of parchment.

“Wilbur Soot and Techno Blade, you are hereby exiled from the Southern Water Tribe and are banned from setting foot inside the borders of the Southern Water Tribe or communicating with any members of the Southern Water Tribe. If sighted on Water Tribe land or discovered conspiring against the Water Tribe, you _will_ be killed on sight. So says Chief Yin.” Wilbur’s eyes widened at the words, the twins were barely old enough to even understand what they were even hearing and Techno pulled Wilbur behind him as the woman’s ice-cold eyes stared into his, “Is that clear?” she sneered. Wilbur nodded and tried to keep a brave face, Techno said nothing, only glaring at the woman and cementing her face into his memory. He would be back someday, he decided, and he wanted to make sure she was the first to go. The man handed a small satchel to Wilbur, who hesitantly grabbed it and pulled it over his small shoulders, “There are two days of provisions in there. May the spirits protect you,” the man mumbled and refused to meet their eyes.

“Off you go, exiles. I won’t tell you a second time.” The woman crossed her arms and watched Techno trudge past her with Wilbur close behind, their little feet struggling to move in the thick snow. The sun was beginning to set behind them, and the temperature was already starting to drop severely.

“They won’t make it one night, out there. You just wasted those provisions,” The woman sniffed and turned to go back to the village. “You’re a monster, Kari. They’re just kids.” Terick snarled, hesitating as he watched the two as they trudged away, before he followed her, turning his back on the two. “The only good bloodbender is a dead bloodbender.” She responded back with ease, “I feel no pity for murderers, by exiling them now we’ve saved a life they would have taken in the future...”

Far above, in the skies of the Southern Water tribe, an air bender soared the night skies with an airbending staff, clad in the green robes of the Earth Kingdom. It was habit to wear them now after his many years spent serving the Earth Kingdom, plus he had to admit that green suited him well. He was just glad he left the kingdom before it went straight to shit. With the word that the Avatar had perished, and the balance disrupted, he was more than happy he left his job just little over a year or two before the downfall.

He hummed as he flew through the air, loving the cool night air as he soon approached the south pole. He hadn’t been in the south pole for a while, not since Operation Sea Lion. Phil wondered if he could make the chief shake in his boots again if Phil just showed up for a little chat. The thought alone made him smile as he dropped in altitude to try and see if he could startle some lone hunters before the sun fully dipped below the horizon

Instead he found something far more alarming.

It was already snowing, and he had no doubt the snow would increase to blizzard levels in just a few days- if not a few hours, and blizzards were more than commonplace around these parts. What caught him off guard wasn’t the missing hunters or penguins, but two odd shaped snowbanks on the ground less than a mile away from the Water Tribe’s walls.

Phil is no water bender but he’s fairly certain that snow doesn’t shape like that naturally, that is- unless it’s fallen on top of something. He landed just a few feet away and he saw a bone white hand barely moving above the snow.

_His heart stopped._

Someone had left a _child_ out alone in the snow.

He’ll end them all- send their souls right back to the Spirit World twice just so he can see the look of anguish on their faces- _‘No. Get it together Philza, you need to help them first. At least, if they’re still alive.’_

A quick air gust and the snow was blown completely off them.

There were two of them, twins by the looks of it, both in chains and holding each other’s hands. Eyelashes caked in ice and snow, one of them groaned softly and mumbled something about the moon.

“Shhh it’s alright. I’m a friend of the moon. I’m here to help. Come on, you can trust me” Phil cooed softly as he carefully picked up both boys. They were young and clearly not supposed to be all on their own yet, so it was easy for Phil to carry both boys as he took off again, heading to the old air temple he knew was nearby. One that was never used these days.

He would take care of them and keep them safe. He would teach them everything he knew about the world and then some, so they know it’s okay to take back what once was theirs.

Philza Minecraft is a simple man.

Apart from the Avatar, the most feared man in the world is a former Air Nomad; A man who only wants to save the world from itself.

Philza Minecraft, the Lone Dragon, gains a small family of two.

That night as he tends to their wounds, he makes a promise on the stars and the moon spirits, _‘I will protect these boys with my heart, mind and soul. As long as I live, no harm will befall them. On your graces do I keep this oath.’_

He didn’t know just how hard he’d have to work to keep that promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!!
> 
> A few weeks ago my dear friend and writing buddy and I came up with an Avatar AU for the MCYTs and it started off as a joke before quickly spiraling into a full blown story. Like we've planned four seasons of this story(but we're gonna compact it into one fic lmao).  
> It's a labor of love, and we've split the chapters so neither of us have to work too hard as we're both college students. I'm not sure how often we're going to be able to update, but we'll try not to make you wait too long.  
> Please check out That_One_Doc_Dragon's work! I couldn't do either of my fics without her help and she's also made an amazing fantasy AU fic on her account so please go check that out! I promise you that it's worth a read.
> 
> Anyways - thanks again, and don't forget to take care of yourselves!


	2. Growing Up Too Fast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been five years since the fall of the Earth Kingdom and Dream has spent this time training with his guardians: Bad and Skeppy, but unfortunately they couldn't protect Dream forever...

“Dream! No! Get back here you little muffin!!”

Bad skidded around the corner and chased after the green clad child who was giggling manically as his newest trick. He’d been living with Bad and Skeppy for five years at this point and Skeppy’s mischievous side had more than rubbed off on the child avatar. His newest trick was being able to summon crystals, like Skeppy, and figuring out how to use them to restrain people- or pets in Bad’s case.

“You can’t just trap Rat in a cage and run away, mister!” Bad scolded as he chased Dream around the air temple, “Don’t make me use bending on you!” He threatened and Dream turned to face him while running, “That’s if you can catch me!” he fired back and took a sharp turn out of Bad’s line of sight. “Dream!!” Bad went to follow and instead found a large slab of rock blocking his path. He sighed and sliced his hand through the air, a precise cut following his hand through the stone and easily pushed the halves aside with a gust of wind. He jogged down the hallway and upon checking the first room found a certain blue clad trickster watching him with an amused smile.

“Skeppy, where is he?” Bad crossed his arms and stared his best friend down. Skeppy simply shrugged and grinned back “Where is who?” he asked coyly and feigned confusion. “What do you _mean_ , who?! Dream! Where is he!” Bad frowned, very clearly not amused at Skeppy’s act. “Dream? Oh, I thought you were talking about those spirits you always claim are living here.” Skeppy glanced back down at his book and continued reading, “I dunno where Dream is, haven’t seen him today- it was your day for lessons after all.” He said, waving his hand through the air as if to shoo the airbender away. “Skeppy I followed him through here! I know he’s around here somewhere!” Bad argued, but Skeppy didn’t look up from his book, “He musta continued down the hall, I dunno what to tell you, Bad, other than he’s not here.”

“Ugh! You’re impossible!” Bad threw his hands up in frustration and left the room to continue looking down the hallway. After a few moments of silence Skeppy lowered his book and glanced towards the couch, “So what’d you do this time?” he asked and Dream popped up from behind the couch, still grinning. “Trapped Rat in a crystal cage.” He pronounced proudly and Skeppy’s face lit up, “Just like how I taught you? Heck yeah, kid!” he said and high fived Dream, “You finally got the grasp of not only crystal bending, but of pulling pranks,” he feigned tears, “I couldn’t be prouder of the man you’ve turned out to be!” he sniffled sarcastically. Dream rolled his eyes and flopped down onto the couch,

“I’m not _that_ old, Skeppy- you’re much older than I am.” Dream teased as he played with a small cluster of crystals, “You’re practically a senior citizen at this point!”

“Hey! I’m only nineteen, kid- I’m not that much older.” Skeppy protested and snatched the crystal from Dream’s bending. “I dunno, Skeppy, I think I see some gray hairs growing in. I wouldn’t be surprised if you keeled over any day now!” Dream giggled and jumped away from Skeppy’s smack. “I can still rat you out to Bad, you little gremlin!” Skeppy pronounced and tried to chase Dream around the couch. “Do that and I tell him you’re the one who dyed Rat’s fur green last week!” Dream pronounced as the two came to a standstill. Skeppy gasped dramatically, “You wouldn’t dare!” to which Dream only grinned in response,

“Watch me.” He darted to the doorway, “HEY BAD!! GUESS WHAT-?” Skeppy practically tackled the ten-year-old, “Shush!! You’re gonna get us both caught!!”

“Caught doing what?” Bad was suddenly right in front of the two and was already crossing his arms. The two earth benders screeched in alarm and fell back onto the ground before scrambling to attempt right themselves in the jumbled heap they became on the floor.

“SKEPPY DYED RAT GREEN LAST WEEK.”

“DREAM WAS THE ONE WHO EARTHBENT YOUR DOOR CLOSED A FEW DAYS AGO” They shouted simultaneously and Bad blinked in shock before laughing loudly, “I would say I’m disappointed in you two, but frankly your lack of loyalty to each other is hilarious,” he chuckled and held a hand out to Dream to help him up, and then to Skeppy when the crystal bender pouted, “How about this, I’ll forget you two ever did that if you release Rat and help me with the chores tonight, deal?”

“Deal!” Dream blurted and shook Bad’s hand enthusiastically.

“Deal…” Skeppy sighed and shook Bad’s hand with considerably less enthusiasm.

“Alrighty, first order of business is the-“

Bad was cut off as a loud CRACK deafened the three as the Northern Air Temple shook beneath their feet as if the very earth quaked beneath them- because it did. Skeppy raced to the nearest window and looked down towards the only entrance to the temple and he froze in fear before turning back towards the two.

“It’s _them,_ Bad… They found us.” He breathed; eyes wide. Bad gasped and pulled Dream closer to him, “How...? No, never mind that, how do the defenses look?” Bad asked but got his answer before Skeppy even spoke as the temple was wracked with another earth-shaking hit. “Gone- it only took two hits for him to get through it.” Skeppy said and ran back to the two.

“Guys? What’s going on, who’s here?!” Dream asked fearfully as he looked between the two teenagers, “No time to explain, bud, we have to get you out of here.” Bad started pulling Dream towards the center of the temple, “Skeppy-“

“Already on it,” Skeppy started running the opposite direction, towards the entrance but Bad stopped him by grabbing his sleeve, “Stay safe- please…” Bad breathed, doing his best to hide his fear from Dream. Skeppy smiled sadly, “When have I ever been good at that?” He teased and gave Bad’s hand a comforting squeeze, “I’ll see you two on the other side, stay safe.” He assured them and disappeared around the corner; his fists already covered in a crystal gauntlet. Bad hesitated for a moment, watching his best friend disappear with an awful pain in his heart before grabbing Dream’s hand and pulling him in the opposite direction.

They ran towards the center of the temple, where Dream’s room was, and the second they arrived Bad started shoving clothes and food into a bag and threw a dark green cloak around Dream’s shoulders before tucking a white scarf around the lower half of Dream’s face. “No matter what happens, you need to keep running. Once you’re far enough away from the temple, find a hiding spot- always hide your face and never tell anyone your true identity.” Bad spoke quickly and pulled the bag over Dream’s shoulders, “Do you understand?”

“Yes- but what’s going on? Why are we running?” Dream’s eyes were wide and scared as he searched Bad’s face for any answers, “Is Skeppy going to be okay?” Bad flinched and placed his hands on Dream’s shoulders, “The people here are hunting _you_ down, they’ve been searching for you since the moment you were born- they want to prevent you from reaching your full potential and fixing the wrongs of this world-“ Bad tried to explain quickly but stopped when he heard the doors of the room down the hall slam open. He pulled the hood of the cloak over Dream’s head and stood up, “I’m going to buy you time, you remember the escape route, right? Take that and run as far away as you can-“ Dream grabbed Bad’s hand and the air bender wanted nothing more than to pull him into a hug and assure the young avatar that everything was going to be okay… but he knew that it wasn’t, “What about you and Skeppy?” Dream’s voice cracked and he was practically shaking. Bad gave his hand a comforting squeeze, “We’ll find you- we always do. Now go!” He gave Dream a push down the hallway just as three figures loomed at the entrance.

“I should have known _you_ were the Avatar’s other guardian. Wherever you find Skeppy, Bad isn’t far behind.” The person in the center of the group sneered and blue flames engulfed his fists, “Tell you what- you hand over the kid and we won’t hurt you too much...” He said as he stalked forward. Bad assumed a defensive stance and glared daggers at the group, “Over my dead body.” He growled and the fire bender only grinned, “I can arrange that.”

* * *

Dream had never run so fast in his life, even when Bad or Skeppy were chasing him or when they had him run laps for training, nothing quite compared to running for your life. At first, he didn’t quite believe that Bad and Skeppy were being serious about the attack, but he quickly learned otherwise when he ran into two men by the Atrium. One was clad in black and red, who only grinned evilly as he caught sight of Dream, the other was clad in brown and blacks and only grimaced.

“Prince Clay, right?” The fire bender asked with hands ablaze, “We’ve got a lot to catch up on- starting with _this!_ ” a ball of flame suddenly shot at Dream and he dodged out of the way on instinct, realizing with a start why Bad had been so insistent on defensive training. He dodged blast after blast of flame, darting from one pillar to another before the earth bender next to the fire bender could pull the pillar down on top of him. “Slippery little thing, isn’t he?” the fire bender growled as they cornered Dream down one of the hallways, “Just like the last one, annoying ‘til the end.” The earthbender placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back, “Patience, Mitch, this one doesn’t have as much experience, he can’t dodge forever.” He muttered as they followed Dream around the corner- only to be greeted by a rough wall of stone. The earth bender smirked, “Nice try, kid.” With a flick of his hand the wall shattered into small rocks as if it had been blown up from the inside out. Their grins quickly dropped when they realized the hallway behind the slab was completely empty, despite the fact that there was only one way out.

“What the hell?!” Mitch snapped as he searched the hallway, hands ablaze in his frustration, “Can Avatars turn invisible now? How did he escape?!” he turned to his partner with fire in his eyes. “He hasn’t yet.” The earth bender hissed and slammed his foot into the ground, activating his seismic sense to gauge the layout of the hallway, and smirked as he found what he was looking for, “I gotta give Bad and Skeppy some credit, they aren’t nearly as dumb as I thought they were.” He stalked towards the back wall and with a simple punch, the false wall fell and exposed a carved tunnel leading out of the temple.

“You can run, Clay, but you can’t hide!” the shout echoed down the hallway and sent a chill through Dream’s bones. He swallowed his fear and focused on grounding himself, digging his feet into the ground and focusing, just how Skeppy had taught him. He took deep breaths and focused on the rock surrounding him- this was his element and he refused to let them scare him on his own turf. He reached a hand out and focused on the stone above him, and with a quick pulling motion, he collapsed the roof of the tunnel and buried the pathway he had just come from. The attack caused a chain reaction and the whole tunnel began to collapse. The move took so much of his energy that it made his head swim, but he pushed through it and continued to run out of the tunnel and into the dark valley that he used to call home, only a sliver of the moon guided him as he ran and prayed to any spirit watching to protect him.

He took one last look at the large temple that decorated the mountain side, he had rarely been let out of the temple when he was younger, but he couldn’t help but cry at seeing the massive plumes of dark smoke curl out of the temple’s towers. Bad and Skeppy were powerful benders, he knew that, but even they would have problems facing down a talented group of benders like the ones he faced. Bad promised they would find him, no matter where he went, but as he watched the temple crumble from the inside out, he knew in his heart that his guardians were long gone.

Once again- he was all alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see! Sorry about the absence! I was really focused on my other fic and lost motivation for this one, but I'm back now! I'm not sure when I'm going to start making regular updates to this fic, but since my murder mystery fic is getting close to wrapping up, I'll be able to give this fic a lot more love!  
> Hopefully I can get another chapter out soon, but for now here's some of Dream's angsty backstory, lmao
> 
> Don't forget to drink water, eat some food, take your meds, and wear your mask! <3  
> Love y'all lots <3 <3
> 
> (p.s. I rewrote the prologue to this fic, so feel free to check that out again if you want to!)


	3. Sowing the Seeds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After gaining hope from the stories Phil tells them of the Avatar, Wilbur and Techno start to discuss their revenge on the Southern Water Tribe...

“Alright Wilbur, think, what do you remember from our lesson last week?”

On the other half of the continent, Wilbur Soot stood in a sparring ring across from his adoptive father and dropped down into defensive stance. Phil dropped into a similar stance and the two started slowly circling around the training ring, both waiting for the other to strike first. Techno watched them from the steps nearby, seemingly bored from watching his brother get his ass kicked over and over again.

This time around, Phil struck first, sending a sharp gale straight at Wilbur, who reacted quickly and feigned out of the way and towards the left, keeping his feet light as he attempted to get in close range. Phil tilted his head in amusement at this, seemingly impressed with Wilbur’s improvements, and sent more air attacks, these ones stronger than the last.

Wilbur seemed to have more difficulty with this, stumbling through the attacks without his earlier grace, but he did manage to get into close range and the two started to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Naturally, Phil defaulted into air bender tactics and dodged all of Wilbur’s blows with a smooth grace- but since Wil had also been trained in these tactics, he actually managed to hold his own against his father for once. Not only was he holding his own, but he also successfully managed to get a chi strike in on Phil’s arm- causing the whole arm to go limp. Both parties hesitated for a moment in their shock before Phil took advantage of Wilbur’s surprise to sweep a leg under him and knock him to the ground- the victor of yet another sparring session.

Techno broke out into laughter at this and Wilbur groaned in defeat, draping an arm over his eyes as he laid on the tile floor catching his breath. Phil took a step back and worked feeling back into his arm, but he was practically glowing in pride as he helped Wilbur up to his feet. “You surprise me every day, Wilbur. I can’t believe how much you’ve improved in just a day!” he praised, “At this rate you’ll overtake me in skill by the time you’re fifteen!” Wilbur grinned brightly, the praise making his bruises hurt less.

“Aw, dad, you’re just gonna make him cocky…” Techno complained, getting up to prepare for his own training so he could give Wilbur a break for once. “Oh hush, you know that your brother has to work twice as hard as you do.” Phil shushed and crossed his arms as Wilbur went to take Techno’s spot on the stairs, exhausted but proud of himself, “I’d like to see you even try to land a hit on dad.” He teased his twin with a playful shove. "Bending isn't as easy as you think!!" Techno protested against the both of them, "Especially water bending!"

"You’re a water bender!" Wilbur shot back immediately, seemingly forgetting his earlier exhaustion in order to bicker with Techno, "It's literally in your DNA to be able to water bend!!"

"You _know_ why I have problems with water bending!" Techno snapped, jabbing a finger into Wilbur's chest. This only served to anger Wilbur, who surged to his feet in an attempt to intimidate Techno with his height advantage,

"How much different can it be?! Water and Blood are both liquids! Your argument makes no sense!"

“You sound just like _They_ did!”

" **BOYS!** "

Wilbur stared in shock at his twin, hurt flashing across his face as he processed those words. Techno regretted his words the minute they left his mouth. The two fell into an uneasy silence as their father suddenly broke them apart, a disappointed look gracing his features as the twins refused to meet each other's eyes. Phil sighed and dropped to his knees to look the two in their eyes, "Boys, I know that it can be... difficult understanding the problems that you both have.” He gently grabbed their hands and pulled them closer, “Techno, you have to understand that because Wilbur is a non-bender, he won't fully understand the struggles you go through, just as you will never fully understand the struggles that he goes through trying to keep up with you.” He turned his gaze back to Wilbur, “Bending is a tricky talent and because of the way you two were raised, I have to teach Techno how to water bend in a way that can feel a bit… backwards." He tried to explain as carefully as he could, trying his best to not ruffle anymore feathers or make one feel less loved than the other. He gently coerced them to sit on the ground beside him, "I know that it feels like I treat you two differently, and I know that you feel alone in your respective studies, but you have to remember that you two need each other in the same way that the sun needs the moon. You are _both_ talented and strong, and unfortunately, you've had to experience the worst of humanity at a young age. This is why it is so important for you both to remember that you have each other above all else." He asserted softly and felt Wilbur slowly lean into him with a small sniffle.

"…why didn't they want us?"

Techno's voice was so soft that Phil almost missed it. Techno very rarely showed his emotions to Phil, even if they had been a little family for over five years now. His heart broke at those words and he felt Wilbur clutch onto him a little bit tighter as he opened his other arm for Techno to come join them. "Well... people in this world fear what they don't understand, and just like animals- they sometimes attack before thinking things through..." Phil's words were soft as he held his boys close, "Instead of seeing you for who you are, they saw you for what you might become- they saw you through the lens of your parents."

"You mean they saw us as monsters..." Wilbur mumbled bitterly, ignoring the tears that had welled up in his eyes. "I did _not_ say that." Phil stroked Wilbur's hair softly, "You are not monsters for being born to monstrous people. There are only a few true monsters in this world, and you two are most certainly not on that list." he said firmly.

"...who is? On the list, I mean..." Techno asked, moving slightly to look up at his dad.

Phil thought back to the night he had found his boys, when he found them on the brink of death in piles of fresh snow. He thought of the people who put them there and forced them into that terrible situation. He thought of the Southern Water Tribe's chief and the mockery she had made of the Tribe. "The people who willingly chose to exile children in the middle of a blizzard. The current Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. The people who killed the Avatar-"

"What's an Avatar?"

Phil blinked in shock, forgetting that his boys had been raised away from the rest of the world and would have no clue who the Avatar was- they were too young to remember the Day the Earth Kingdom fell. “Have… I never told you about them?” He asked, slightly disappointed in himself. The boys shook their heads, temporarily distracted from their sorrows at the promise of a story. Phil smiled at the wonderous gleam in their eyes, after all- his boys were in the perfect place to learn about the Avatar. He gently roused them to their feet and got up, "Follow me, I can _show_ you what the Avatar is."

For as long as they had lived there, the twins still hadn't been able to fully explore every part of the temple. Some parts were inaccessible without air bending and other parts were just hidden so far down in the bowels of temple that they had never even thought to look there. The statue room was one of those hidden gems of the temple, impossible to find without knowing the way. The boys stood in awe in front of the airlock door, looking around the dark hallway in quiet reverence and curiosity, this awe only intensified when Phil showed them how the door opened.

Their jaws dropped when they saw the enormity of the room behind the door, of the seemingly endless number of statues that went around and up the walls of the room. Just the sheer aura of the room sent them reeling in shock, and Phil only chuckled, remembering his first time seeing the Statue Room.

"Welcome to the Hall of Avatars, boys." He introduced before letting them go explore it themselves as he explained, his voice reverberating through the circular chamber, “The Avatar is the only person in the world who has the ability to bend all four elements. They are the bridge between the spirit world and our world. They help to keep the world at peace and to bring balance and harmony to the world.” He wound his way to the center of the room, familiar with most of the faces around him, finding himself unconsciously heading towards the statue of the last Avatar. Wilbur popped up beside him as he walked,

“If there’s only one Avatar, why are there so many statues?” He asked, circling around the statues they passed to learn all he could. “Well, there _is_ only one Avatar, but they live normal lives just like the rest of us. When one Avatar dies, another is born. It’s just like the cycle of life and death.” Phil ruffled Wilbur’s hair, smiling sadly as they reached the most recent statue.

Techno suddenly popped up on his other side, glancing between Phil and the statue, “Did you know him?” he asked. Phil jumped slightly at these words, not realizing Techno was beside him, “Not as well as I would have liked to, but yes, I did…” Techno grabbed his hand, as if to comfort him, “He was born a water bender, just like you two, only he grew up in the Northern Water Tribe. He gained mastery of the other elements at a young age and unfortunately he inherited the problems of his last reincarnations.”

He slowly led the boys back out of the room as they hung on to his every word, “The Avatar before him didn’t pay much attention to the Spirit World, choosing instead to focus on the humans of this world and refusing to be the bridge between our world and the Spirit World. This caused the Spirits to be angry and they began to take their frustrations out on the humans...”

Over the course of the evening, Phil continued to tell them stories about the Avatar, to distract them from their argument earlier and to give them some hope to cling onto in the cold world they knew. “Avatar Sky was a lot like you two in that respect- people forced him to grow up too soon as well. But just like you two, he found his own family who traveled with him and stood by him through thick and thin…” Phil held back a grimace as they sat in front of the fireplace of their makeshift living room, deciding not to tell his sons how _that_ story ended, not yet at least. “What happened to him?” Wilbur’s eyes were wide, he was fully invested in his dad’s new line of stories, and though Techno would never admit it- he was invested too.

Phil gave them a soft sad smile, “That’s a story for another day, little birds, it is long past your bedtime.” The boys cried out in protest, begging their dad for more stories about the Avatar, especially Avatar Sky, but Phil would hear nothing of it as he shoo’ed them off to their bedrooms; tucking them in with a promise of more stories tomorrow if they did their chores in a timely manner.

Yet as Phil left his boys to get their rest, Techno found that he couldn’t quite get his mind to settle down for the night, finding his thoughts instead wandering back to his home tribe. After an hour of rustling around in his bed, he finally got up and silently made his way across the hall to Wilbur’s room- who also seemed to know his brother would drop by eventually.

“Can’t sleep?”

“Nope… you?”

“Don’t really want to. Wanna talk about it?”

The twins had found themselves in this scenario many times over the years, both before and after Phil took them in. Wilbur always seemed to know when Techno couldn’t sleep, and Techno had become a light sleeper so that he would always wake up if Wilbur needed him. They were all they had for the six years before Phil took them in, they practically raised themselves more than their biological parents raised them.

Techno always loved Wilbur’s room, and often found himself staying in Wil’s room more often than his own. Sometimes they’d share Wil’s bed, sometimes Techno would fall asleep in the little bay window next to Wil’s bed, and sometimes he would just fall asleep on the rug in front of the small fireplace. He just liked being close by- to assure himself that Wil was safe.

Techno sighed and tucked himself into the little alcove that hid Wilbur’s bed, sitting across from his twin, “I just… I can’t stop thinking about the tribe- about how they kicked us out as if we were nothing just because we were different. It just… it makes me wonder how many other people ended up just like us… Only they didn’t have someone like Dadza to help them…” he tucked his knees into his chest. Wilbur cocked his head slightly, sitting up to try and see Techno better, “What made you think about that?” he asked, “We don’t have to worry about the Tribe anymore, besides it’s not like we can ever go back- they’ll kill us if we do.”

Techno brushed off Wil’s comment, “No, I’m being serious, Wil! Don’t you think we deserve revenge for them trying to kill us?” his eyes flashed in the lowlight, catching Wilbur off guard and causing him to raise his hands in surrender, “I believe you, Tech. Of course I want revenge, we’ve already talked about that.” He reminded his twin softly, the fire crackling quietly in the background. “Well, what if we take our revenge a step further? What if we make sure that no one else has to suffer the way we did?” Techno’s eyes lit up in the dim fire light, his gold eyes practically absorbing the firelight as he saw his ideas already coming to fruition, the plans already well thought out in the back of his head. Wilbur frowned at this, more worried for the tribe than he was for his brother at this point,

“Well… what do you have in mind?”

“I call it: ‘The Arctic Empire’.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I've gotten obsessed with this AU all over again, so I'm writing way faster than I used to lmao.   
> I'm trying to space out the chapters so I don't flood you guys with chapters, but I have big plans for this fic!  
> I hope y'all enjoy!
> 
> As always, remember to drink water and eat some food, don't forget to take your meds, and wear a mask!  
> Love you all <3


End file.
